Archive for October, 2005

”Sept. 11, like other catastrophes, makes people panic, makes them fearful, makes them want to protect themselves and their families against the enemy, who, in this case, is hard to identify.” -James Alan Fox, Lipman professor of criminal justice -Northeastern University in Boston.
In the post September 11th world, the US government remains determined to tell us that our lives are in danger and that we ought to be fearful of everyone in the outside world because so many of them “want to kill us.” After many weeks of travel in Europe and the Middle East this past summer, these warnings are hard to believe.
During my travels, Italians welcomed me to their cities, Lebanese airport officials were happy to help me with a visa, and Syrian shop owners pleasantly and patiently bargained as I purchased goods in the Souk. Where is this anti-Americanism? Where is the threat? Overall, I am thrilled that I did not see or feel any of the anti-Americanism everyone in the US is talking about, nor did I at anytime during my travels feel threatened.